Department of Veterans Affairs Billing Accountability Act of 2015

Department of Veterans Affairs Billing Accountability Act of 2015

This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to waive the requirement that a veteran make copayments for medications, hospital care, nursing home care, and medical services if:

• an error committed by the VA or a VA employee was the cause of delaying copayment notification to the veteran, and
• the veteran received such notification later than 120 days (18 months in the case of a non-VA facility) after the date on which the veteran received the care or services.

In requiring a veteran to make a copayment for care or services provided at a VA or a non-VA medical facility the VA shall notify the veteran not later than 120 days (18 months in the case of a non-VA facility) after the date on which the veteran received the care or services. If the VA does not provide notification by such date it may not collect the payment, including through a third-party entity, unless the veteran is provided with:

• information about applying for a waiver and establishing a payment plan with the VA, and
• opportunity to make a waiver or establish a payment plan.

The VA shall review and improve its copayment billing internal controls and notification procedures.